This is a pretty incredible program. The law firm, D.C.'s Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, will even reimburse non-lawyer staff members who seek to better themselves by pursuing an advanced degree. And the better your grades, the more the firm pays. Nice!

For many prospective students, the decision to go to law school means taking on a hefty burden of debt.

But
not for future attorneys at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett &
Dunner, a law firm that specializes in patent and trademark work.
Finnegan has a generous reimbursement program that covers 100 percent of
staffers’ law school tuition.

To qualify for the reimbursement,
employees must work as “student associates” while they attend law
school. These positions are typically part time, and the firm bills
clients at a lower rate for the work.

“I signed some checks for
Harvard and Stanford in the past year that nearly made me choke,” joked
Barbara McCurdy, managing partner. But “the benefit for us is that we
attract really excellent talent.”

Erin Sommers is an associate at
Finnegan’s Washington office who got her law degree from Georgetown
University. She started at the firm as a technical specialist with no
legal experience, but she eventually wanted to go back to school. The
reimbursement program, she said, helped make that possible.